Figure 1

Figure 1 has a vertical timeline on the left side that shows the overall process for creating, reviewing, and distributing election-related materials. The timeline begins at least 125 days before a general election and ends with election day. The timeline contains five colors that identify various phases of the process.  A blue line that starts at least 125 days before the election indicates mapping of districts, which ends at 88 days before the election when Mapping finalizes precinct boundaries. An orange line also begins at least 125 days before the election through 83 days before the election, indicating when Santa Clara receives all candidate and measure filings.  A green line and red line span from 83 days to 40 days before the election. The green line depicts when Santa Clara prepares vote-by-mail and overseas ballots. The red line depicts the time frame when Santa Clara creates and reviews as 43 calendar days, minus weekends, which typically equals 31 business days. The timeline also includes a teal color line from 60 days to election day, indicating when Santa Clara programs electronic voting systems and prepares to deploy all materials, machines, and determines staffing for precincts. The timeline also reflects that between 40 and 21 days before election day, a vendor prints and sends voter information guides to all registered voters.

On the right side of the figure provides a detailed summary of Santa Clara’s creation and review process that occurs during the 31 business days identified in the timeline on the left side of the figure. The top of the detailed summary provides that Santa Clara typically has 31 business days to create and review up to 250 different voter information guides, which include sample ballots, and official ballot versions in five languages. A footnote further explains that federal law requires Santa Clara to provide all election-related materials in 4 languages, as well as English.  In addition, California law requires Santa Clara to post facsimile ballots and related instructions in four additional languages at the polling places.  The detailed summary describes the steps Santa Clara takes to create voter information guides and official ballots. The summary is divided into three columns.  The first column describes the steps of the process, the second column describes the proofreading associated with the step from the first column, and the third column shows a graphic depiction of the number of staff members who proofread the material from columns one and two, multiplied by the number of times the materials are proofread.

• The first box in the first column indicates that Santa Clara checks for the presence of folders in “in trays” and documents noted on logs in Candidate Services files.
• The second box shows that Santa Clara then copies and scans submitted documents and converts them to electronic text documents.
• The third box shows that Santa Clara formats all documents for the English version of the voter information guide.
• In the first box of the second column for these steps, it says one staff member proofreads the formatted electronic file to the original with a text-to-speech program, which the third column indicates one person proofreads it one time.
• The second box of the second column for these steps says two teams of two staff members proofread the English formatted documents. One staff member reads the file aloud while the listening staff member compares spoken text to the original. The third column shows a total of four people proofread this material two times.
• The fourth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara sends formatted English files of voter information guide to translation and printing vendors.
• The second columns shows that for this step, two individual staff members proofread translated documents against originals. A third reviewer sends edits to translators for review and implementation. The third column shows a total of three people proofread the materials three times per language.
• The fifth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara imports candidates and measures into its ballot creation program and sends the candidate list for translation.
• The second columns shows that for this step, two individual staff members proofread translations of the candidate lists and measure labels against the English version. A third reviewer sends edits to translators. The third column shows a total of three people proofread the materials three times.
• The sixth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara adds state candidate translations into the candidate list from translation vendor.
• The seventh box of the first column shows that Santa Clara imports information and translations into its ballot creation software and creates ballots.
• The second columns shows that for this step, a team of two staff members proofread English versions of candidate and measure information against the official ballot information. The third column shows a total of two people proofread the materials one time.
• The second columns also shows that for this step, a team of two staff members then proofread translated state and local candidate and measure information against official ballot information. The third column shows a total of two people proofread the materials one time per language.
• The eighth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara provides the ballot images and database to its vendors.
• The ninth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara approves vendors to print voter information guides.
• The second columns shows that for this step, staff proofread 15 voter information guides for each ballot type in English, and six voter information guides in each of the other languages. The third column shows a total of six people proofread this material one time.
• The tenth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara receives hard-copy ballot proofs and sample ballots from vendors.
• The second columns shows that for this step, staff proofread hard-copy official ballots against approved ballot images sent to the vendor. The third column shows a total of six people proofread this material two times per language.
• The eleventh box of the first column shows that Santa Clara receives electronic ballots for voting machines.
• The second columns shows that for this step, two teams of two staff members proofread base ballot against official ballot information, and then fully examine all ballot types to ensure content. The third column shows a total of four people proofread this material two times per language.
• The twelfth box of the first column shows that Santa Clara records audio files for audio ballots and loads them into voting system software.
• The second columns shows that for this step, teams of two staff members listen to audio ballots and proofread them against official ballot information. The third column shows a total of two people proofread this material one time per language.
• The last box of the first column shows that Santa Clara sends facsimile ballots to its translation vendor.
• The second columns shows that for this step, the translation vendor proofreads and then a team of two staff members proofread the English conversion for presence and order of contests. The third column shows a total of two people proofread this material one time.

The bottom of the detailed summary indicates that the creation, review and distribution process includes 18 proofreading steps by 35 people.

Figure 2

Figure 2 is an illustration demonstrating how Santa Clara superimposes various voting district boundary maps to determine ballot types and precincts. On the top of the figure, there are seven small maps of voting district boundaries within Santa Clara County. The seven separate maps are for school districts, board of education districts, community college districts, cities, congressional districts, assembly districts, and other districts.  A footnote indicates that other districts include various districts, such as water and supervisor districts.

Below the individual voting district boundary maps is a map showing all seven voting district maps superimposed to determine the ballot types and voting precincts for a sample geographical area.  A text box entitled Ballot Type Determination explains that Santa Clara superimposes boundaries of multiple voting districts to identify the overlap, which determines a specific ballot type for the registered voters within each geographical area. The superimposed map shows the relevant voting district boundaries that apply to that particular ballot type. The map also shows smaller geographic areas within the ballot-type area, showing how Santa Clara divides areas into voting precincts based on population of no more than 1,000 registered voters.

Figure 3

Figure 3 is a pie chart categorizing by type the 26 errors in election-related materials that Santa Clara experienced from 2010 through 2016. The chart is segmented into six sections, representing the six types of errors.  Starting at the top of the pie chart and going clockwise, the first section shows that Santa Clara provided incorrect information in two instances, which represents 8 percent of its total errors.  The second section shows that Santa Clara had three mailing errors, which represents 12 percent of its total errors. The third section shows that Santa Clara had eight mapping errors, which represents 31 percent of its total errors. The fourth section shows that Santa Clara was missing information in election-related materials in four instances, which represents 15 percent of its total errors. The fifth section shows that Santa Clara had four technical errors, which represents 15% percent of its total errors. The sixth section shows that Santa Clara had five typographical errors, which represents 19 percent of its total errors.

Figure 4

Figure 4 is an example of a potential decision matrix that Santa Clara could use when deciding how to address election-related errors. The first step is to determine the significance of the error.  If the error is of minimal significance, the chart flows to the left. If the error is of major significance, then the chart flows to the right. The flowchart provides examples of minimal errors, such as a minor typographical error that does not affect the meaning of the text, or minor formatting issues on voting materials, such as certain words appearing in incorrect font or style, wrong font size or case, or improperly spaced columns. The flowchart provides examples of major errors, such as information is incorrect or entirely omitted from voting materials (measures, arguments, and candidate statements) or that voters receive the wrong ballots.
The next section of the flowchart involves determining the number of voters affected for errors of both minimal and major significance.  The flowchart provides actions that Santa Clara could take for errors that affect 100 or fewer voters, and actions that Santa Clara should take when an error affects more than 100 voters.

• On the left side of the graphic, that indicates errors of minimal significance, if 100 or fewer voters are affected, an arrow directs to the left and indicates that Santa Clara should record the error in its error-tracking spreadsheet. For errors of minimal significance that affect more than 100 voters, an arrow directs to the right and indicates that Santa Clara should record the error in its error-tracking spreadsheet, and send errata letters.
• On the right side of the graphic, that indicates errors of major significance, if 100 or fewer voters are affected, an arrow directs to the left and indicates that Santa Clara should record the error in its error-tracking spreadsheet, send errata letters, and post notification on the registrar’s website. For errors of major significance that affect more than 100 voters, an arrow directs to the right and indicates that Santa Clara should record the error in its error-tracking spreadsheet, send errata letters, post notification on the registrar’s website, and issue a press release.

On the bottom of the matrix, it is explained that if management deviates from the actions described, it must maintain written records explaining the reasons for the deviation.